—Musings

noun [plural] \ˈmyü-ziŋs\: discourse intended to express its author's reflections or to guide others in contemplation

The Flow 30

“I’ve never been picky about my water, but when a friend pointed out that it makes up 60% of our bodies and all sorts of synthetics are added to our taps and bottles, I realized cleaner water is worth looking into.”

My account of drinking 2-3L of Flow alkaline spring water a day.

Drinking alkaline spring water is all the rage in the wellness industry—but not without its controversies. Like fit teas and charcoal smoothies, there aren’t many research studies that support its tall health claims (ie. anti-aging and weight loss). I’ve never been picky about my water, but when a friend pointed out that it makes up 60% of our bodies and all sorts of synthetics are added to our taps and bottles (to me, fluoride is the scariest and most prevalent one), I realized cleaner water is worth looking into. Enter Flow — the Canadian brand of Ontario spring water in eco packaging. Living in Toronto, I came across Flow everywhere I looked: the gym, the back room at work, fashion week and other media events. What was all the hype? I soon found out when I tried it myself and noticed a world of a different taste from my regular water. Just in time for the new year, I figured I’d switch to alkaline spring water for the month of January to see its effects myself. Here’s what I found during my 30-day challenge, where I drank 2-3L of Flow a day.

Clearer Skin

The most noticeable physical change was by far an improvement in my skin’s brightness and texture. I had been struggling with cystic adult acne due to frequent travelling, changing climates and diets. After about two weeks of drinking alkaline spring water, my face significantly cleared up. It’s like all the deep, painful bumps across my forehead and chin simultaneously decided to dissolve back into the sea of my flesh.

Less Bloating

During yoga school, we were taught about the philosophies of yoga. The recommended diet includes alkaline food and water, as it allegedly contributes to a healthier gut. I personally know shit-all about how human digestion works, but ancient knowledge is typically pretty sound, so I wasn’t surprised when my gut health seemed to improve and my stomach became less bloated during my alkaline water challenge.

More Energy

As a Pacific Islander, I need a heck of a lot of sun to thrive. Especially during the winter months, I have to jump through all sorts of hoops to keep myself energized; I make sure to exercise often, have a consistent sleep schedule, eat, meditate and take my vitamins. Alkaline spring water seems to further help me process those things. Perhaps it’s the naturally-occurring electrolytes that help my body regulate and replenish important nutrients needed for energy.

Deeper Practice

This one’s super strange and very esoteric, but I see a significant improvement in my yoga practice and overall awareness of Self. My meditations have been extra eye-opening throughout the month; I feel more deeply connected to my physical body and am more adept to noticing my thoughts and behaviours. As with any spiritual development it’s tough to gauge rhyme and reason, but I’m not convinced it’s just a coincidence. Once again, water is a substance that makes up 60% of our bodies—it makes sense that consuming cleaner water results in cleaner cognition.

Final Thoughts

As the month of January comes to a close and I’ll eventually run out of the copious amounts of Flow boxes and cartons currently stacked in my kitchen, I’ll continue being mindful of what I put in my body. It’s shown physical, mental and emotional results far greater than I expected. However, I definitely don’t leave my house enough to justify recyclable to-go Tetra Pak containers for all of my drinking water. Perhaps an alkaline filter and dispenser will do the trick for my daily water intake. But since Flow is all-natural from a nearly-local spring (not to mention a B Corporation that I want to support), I’ll keep a few bottles handy just in case.